Time to say Aloha.

It’s been two years now and it just hit me this week. I am no longer a traveler!

Maybe that is why I have turned down assignments and tell recruiters that I am currently unavailable, and yet the obvious truth hadn’t really settled in yet. In fact, I have even written a magazine article for the travel industry in the past few months. Yet, it was when I submitted an offer to sit on an editorial advisory board for a travel website that the hard truth really hit home. I am no longer a traveler.

So you might be wondering what happened? How did I get stuck somewhere?

First off, the picture above, is me at the front door of what I now call home, which happens to be across the street from one of the most popular beaches in the world, or at least according to Conde Nast, and I actually live their rent free in lieu of managing a few adjacent vacation rentals. Much like travel nursing, I am still working three nights a week and enjoy free housing, so perhaps I couldn’t be blamed for still considering myself a traveler.

What happened is Mary and I always had Hawai'i in our sights and we eventually made it out. I was told there were no travel assignments on the Islands, but it didn’t really matter as we were going even if there was no work, and would just call it a three to six month vacation. That is one of the amazing things about travel assignments. When the contract is complete, you are out of a job, take it for good or bad, but at least it is possible to resume another assignment. So we decided to take some time off, enjoy Hawaii and pick up another contract when we were ready.

While here though, I decided to contact a local agency and figured every day that I worked was just that much longer we could stay, and within just two weeks I was working and orienting at local hospitals. Within two months I was offered two full time positions and it was up to us if staying longer than six months would really work out. After reviewing our housing options we decided to stay.

Even though I was now full time employed I still hadn’t considered myself really a resident because we were considering a five year max stay here as we also had Europe within our sites as another long term (6-12 month) vacation goal. Again, the opportunities of travel nursing can afford these options with varied contract lengths.

Mary had been casually researching housing opportunities in Hawaii and we decided a long term home would have to be such an opportunity that we couldn’t say “no” to. That is actually what happened when we were contacted to manage a vacation rental. Mary primarily does most of the actual management and feels satisfaction by participating in our life style while I help out with odd & end chores about the place, in return housing is rent free.

How often do these kind of opportunities show up? Not often, but they are out there and throughout this blog I have presented various kinds, such as the houseboat sitting. Keeping your options open, not getting strapped down, and making lot’s of contacts is probably key to this kind of opportunity.

And so, with this news I have decided to close this blog and start on new adventures, though I will keep it available for others to read as many of the posts are still pertinent to the travel lifestyle but may also be outdated.

Aloha to all of you, and the best of luck in your adventures.

The view across the street! Small wonder we call it home.

Employment Trends for Travelers

Travel Nurse Employment Continues to Rise For 2012

The demand for travel nursing jobs is on the rise. Health reform has resulted in 32 million more people having access to health care. The aging population is living longer, which requires more health services including home health care, dialysis, and hospice services. As baby boomers reach retirement age, and develop new aches and pains, their need for medical services increases.

Advances in medical science are saving more lives every day and contribute to increasing longevity, which has also increased the need for nursing care. As the economy recovers, hospitals are going forward with expansion plans and renovations. In addition, enrollment in nursing schools is down and fewer nurses are graduating every year. Older nurses are retiring. These factors all contribute to creating an upswing in travel nurse employment opportunities.

Travel nurse employment is available in all fifty states, and especially abounds in metropolitan areas where the number of general nursing staff is inadequate to meet the needs of a growing population. Currently, the most popular travel nurse jobs are in large cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, in California. Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York City, Seattle, Washington, and Las Vegas, Nevada, are other large cities where travel nursing jobs are readily available.

Travel nurse jobs are also common in seasonal vacation spots like New Orleans during Mardi Gras, Florida and California during spring break, and even Hawaii during tourist season. Historical sites that attract a large number of visitors, like Boston, Philadelphia, and San Antonio, are also places in need of more nurses, resulting in ideal travel nursing employment opportunities.

Travel nurse jobs are available in all areas of nursing, but in most demand are those nurses who work in critical care, such as ER, OR, ICU, PICU, NICU, L & D, and Pediatrics. As medical facilities become more sophisticated and technologically advanced, the travel nursing jobs demand a high level of expertise from its nurses.

Working with a travel nurse staffing agency is the best way to obtain a travel nursing job. An agency helps keep resumes updated and references current. It locates the specific job and makes sure all documents are in order and licensing requirements are met. It also will negotiate the best salary and benefits package and arrange for housing and transportation.

The agency can act as a quasi-travel agency, matching the needs and desires of the travel nurse with the benefits available at the specific location: i.e., matching the surfer with a job in Hawaii, or the skier with a job in Colorado. The history buff may want to have a travel nursing job in Boston or Philadelphia or San Antonio. An agency can help the travel nurse discover the exact new place to test out before a permanent relocation, or just to find a place to enjoy new activities or sightseeing. Association with an agency is the best way to stay up to date on innovations in the industry and to discover new opportunities the moment they become available.

This article is provided by Travel Nurse Source. Visit Travel Nursing Jobs for more information.

Why Travel Nursing? Discovering Your Reasons to Travel

So you are facing some changes and considering travel nursing. You might have even contacted a recruiting agent and making some decisions on which company to work with. Before you get too far down that road though, I suggest considering some intentions for your travel. 
Firstly, pay is the smallest of reasons to consider travel nursing. Sure, recruitment techniques always brag about pay, but I have found little improvement in take home pay while traveling when you consider expenses for living in the area. My current permanent salary far exceeds any travel assignment pay and that's before paid benefits, leaving me to scoff at recruiter enticements of pay. 

The main reason I have found travel pay to be lucrative is that I no longer had home maintenance and upkeep to contend with, Mary and I also reduced to a one vehicle couple.
Trust me on this, if pay is your only motivation for travel you will be lonly, miserable, and burnt out in a short time. 

So why travel then? 

I have found it difficult to travel as a tourist on nurse pay, but taking travel assignments can change all that. Visiting long distance family can be a motivation for an assignment and provide more time than just a holiday visit. 

I have a friend who is an avid snowboarding fan, guess where he spends winter assignments? One of my traveling goals is to avoid winter weather all together, which might explain my current Hawaii residence. 

Yet, another nurse might choose to follow the changing seasons along eastern coast being sure to view the autumn leaves change. If, so starting in Maine during summer may be a great start. 

Advancing your career might be a motivation as well. Sure hospitals want experience, but that doesn't mean you won't learn something or be exposed to new learning opportunities at various teaching hospitals. 

If you are learning to speak Spanish there's great communities to live in and experience immersion with the culture. San Diego was a big help for me in mine. 

Taking assignments means we can take extended time off if we choose. This concept blows aways folks holding a steady permanent position, as I saw when moving to Hawaii. Your extended vacation might be Europe or South America, it won't seem so impossible when you are accustomed to living a traveler's lifestyle. 

There are other opportunities as well, have you considered working on a cruise ship, a large summer camp or resort? 

Taking charge of your travel life is not much different than taking control over your life. Find your dreams, turn them into intentions and then call a recruiter. 

This post is dedicated to Reanne, whose spirit for adventure is an inspiration.

Three Things I was Released From Because of Travel

When Mary and I left our home in Missouri everything we thought we needed was in our Honda Accord, and that has remained our motto, "If it doesn't fit in the car, it doesn't go. "

1. The first thing I noticed was the keys I held in my hand, only two. One for the car, another to the bycicle lock, gone were the days of carrying a pocketful. I remember looking at those keys in my hand thinking these are the keys to a new lifestyle.

Just the day before the goodwill truck had picked up a huge pile of former belongings left over from our garage sale. It was a release to be free of all that stuff and also still remains as a reminder for any time we consider a new purchase, "Do we really need that? "

I suppose it is possible to embrace this kind of lifestyle without traveling across the country, but I am not sure it is the best of ideas, though getting rid of clutter and unused stuff is always healthy.

Accumulation begins with seeking convenience, wasn't that latest gadget a great idea? Kitchens and the garage are notorious for this. Some of these tools can still be found in drawers and cabinets still unused and in its original wrapping, waiting for that handy time for when you can use it. I remember looking for such things, only to forget where I stored it when it came time to use it.

Travel made me face my hoard, and make decisions about what I really needed, especially when realizing the Honda could only hold so much. You know what? It felt good!

2. Another release travel provided was from time constraints. My days off used to be full of to do lists of all kind of urgent but not really important things to do. Sometimes going back to work was a relief because I only had one place to be.

There is now more time to play on the beach, ride bicycles, or any other activity I choose, like writing these entries.

Again, maybe this could be done without leaving home but just like all those gadgets that accumulate, so do chores, and errands, and tasks, and... well you get the idea.

3. An unusual release travel provides is from the news. Which isn't to say I don't care about the world about me, but it doesn't affect me quite the same way. Probably didn't affect me as much as I was led to believe anyway.

So taxes are going up in a local area, but I'll be gone by the time it takes affect. Oh well! Instead I keep in mind when I am in whatever location that I am a guest, therefore be respectful of the area. Keep it clean, obey their laws, and mind the local culture. I am not out to fix things, but try to leave with things a little cleaner and keep a grateful attitude.

Catchy Name for a Blog

I was invited to share about another blog called Nurse-O-Rama, and my first thought was, "What a catchy name". Sure is a lot better than my blog title, Travelrngab. Makes me wonder what on earth was I thinking (maybe drinking) when I came up with that one. Sometimes I wonder how important the title of a blog matters, I know the title of a post is important because of word searches, its also important to catch viewer's attention.

Nurse-O-Rama describes itself as such; " a blog dedicated to bringing the best news, information, tips, and hacks all about the nursing profession to one convenient place."  The content is laid out mostly in a list format which makes it easy to quickly peruse the information most appropriate for the reader and use the website as an easy reference point.


The latest post is 20 Tips for Picking the Right MSN Program and provides a nice list of useful sites to help a nurse determine which program, school, and financial assistance might work out best for them, a very handy list. One of my favorite posts, being the tech nerd that I am, is the June 2010 post titled 10 Awesome Android Apps for Nurses

Give them a look and see for yourself.

By the way, a rush for creative outlets has hit me and I will be posting several articles in the coming weeks, including my experiences living and working in Hawaii, so be sure to visit every now and then.

The Art of Getting an Interview

Hiking in the woods of Washington.

Sneaky interview practices, are they the right choice?

The plan was to stop by Seattle for the summer and leave a few of our belongings as well as the car with some friends who also had a condo available, but mostly to leave Sacramento before the full fury of summer heat was upon us.
Don't get me wrong, I loved my time in Sacramento. We had spent the winter there and all of spring, making the most of popular biking trails and our nice club house and pool at the townhouse complex. Not to mention all the benefits of the city's proximity to wonderful places like Napa Valley, San Francisco, and Lake Tahoe. The job was great as well. The Kaiser night crew made me feel welcome as ever I had been, and the schedule was my dream, six nights on and eight off. It was like a vacation every other week.
So I tell my recruiter to find me something in Seattle and in response, I hear assignments are few in that area.
"Look, I began "I already have a place to live there and friends to join up with. So that is where I am going next."
It's amazing how recruiters can find positions in difficult places when pressed upon, especially when you make it clear that you know other recruiters willing to try. 

After just a week or two I was calling for an interview, and this later became a concern I wanted to share. 

What happened was that my recruiter called about an opportunity just outside of Seattle but didn't have all the details, and so left it up to me to dig up the rest. I called the director of the unit, and it turned out he had no idea of a traveler position, but did ask if I was interested in a permanent position, of course course the answer to that was "No".
A week later, and another similar suggestion from my recruiter had me calling an assistant director at a downtown Seattle hospital, and this time I spoke to someone who was still ill at home, and so she hadn't followed up on recruitment calls. She was pleasant at least and we spoke again when she felt better, which ended up with me getting the position.
The recruiter made a point of telling me that any of the Seattle positions could go quickly since there were fewer positions available compared to those wanting assigned in the area. Therefore me taking initiative in calling the right people was crucial.

However a later conversation with a Hospital staffing officer gave me a different perspective. This person told me that she would not work with that same staffing agency because they frequently encouraged nurses to contact directors on their own, such as myself, and that she would not hire any nurse from any agency that used such practices.

So what is a traveler to do? 

Is it fair that some nurses have an edge on the competition? What about a nurse who is just following a recruiters advice on making the calls?  
Why shouldn’t it be the recruiter’s job to make the proper contacts and follow a procedure?
This is an issue that I have rarely heard other bloggers advise new travelers to check with when selecting a recruiter and travel company, but worth considering and investigating on what kind of company you want to work for and how you want to win your assignments.

What do you think?

X10 Airpad Review

Comparing the X10 Airpad alongside the Kindle and Color Nook.

Here is a link to an unboxing of the Airpad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_EImGGWFiY

The X10 Airpad boasts to be the best tablet for its price, under $200, and while it took a while to convince me that a tablet of any kind was worth the buying I decided to go with this one because it certainly fit in my price range for a test.  Its not that I couldn’t afford to pay more but most of the tablets currently on the market actually had greater specs than what I really needed for my personal use, since my phone already accomplishes so much.

A GPS is just too much for me since I already have a nice one in the car and my phone’s GPS is outstanding, so why duplicate? Blue-tooth? Again I have that on my phone and if I want to listen to music via a BT headset I can use the phone as well. A rear facing camera…you gotta be kidding me? What I wanted was a slightly larger display but not without sacrificing portability, and for that reason the 7 inch Airpad fit my need.

Here are the specifications taken from the web site.

X10 AirPad 7" Android Tablet Specifications
CPU:	1.2 Ghz Rockchip 2918 Cortex A8 processor + 600 Mhz DSP
Display:	7" 800x480 resolution TFT LCD screen
Touch-screen:	Capacitive multi-touch, 5 point touch
OS:	Android 2.3, with Flash 10.1
Camera:	2 Megapixel camera with video recording and playback
Sensors:	3-axis accelerometer
RAM:	512 MB
Memory:	4 GB onboard, up to 32 GB with microSD card
Battery Life:	6 hours movie, 20 hours music, 6 hours WIFI Internet access
Network:	WiFi (802.11b/g)
Ports:	HDMI supporting 1080P output, USB
Size:	195 mm x 120 mm x 13 mm, Weight 400g (14 oz)
Battery:	4000 mAh rechargeable lithium polymer

The 1.2 Ghz processor helped the interface clip along without any problems, and comes with a generic android 2.3 which I find kinda dull and so added ADW Launcher for a little more functionality and pizzazz. I haven’t had much problem with the system running on a 7 inch display but on rare occasions some items might not fit, though it hasn’t really occurred enough to be noticed or a problem. Basically it feels just like using my android phone but with a much larger display. The basic screen keypad was too small for me, so I added the Swiftkey app and that works great, especially on a 7 inch screen, I liked how the horizontal pad split in the middle making it easy to reach all of the keys, a few dollars for this app is well worth it.

The Display

When reviewing the 800X480 resolution I was somewhat concerned about the quality of the display, but once having it in my hands this has not been a problem at all. Pictures look very nice and videos are quite clear and crisp. I downloaded a MP4 T.V. show and it looked really good. Obviously I am not a photographer that cares about picture perfect quality but I have absolutely no dissatisfaction with the display and wonder now why this was so concerning to me.  The capacitive screen is very responsive as well, and the 3-axis accelerometer for viewing vertical or horizontal images is zippy and very responsive. The Airpad weighs in at 14 oz. and was comfortable to hold, but does get warm to touch after awhile.  The Nook is slightly thinner but weighs a little more at 15.8 oz. and was comparable in comfort to hold. I had hoped that the two were similar in dimensions and a leather case could be swapped out but that won't work.

The Camera

In front is a 2 megapixel camera that is adequate for use with skype (hint, be sure to go to settings and enable video) phone calls. I have not used any of the other video calling programs at this time. Here is a link to a video I have posted. You will notice the picture looks wavy when the camera is moving. Hah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvZDltsKclk&feature=related

Memory

There is 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of memory on board with up to 32 GB from a microSD card, so no problems with storage. An HDMI port is on the side supporting 1080P output and a USB port as well.  I have not tried the HDMI and probably won’t for the foreseeable future as I have no need for it, however the USB port intrigued me, having seen it on so few of the available tablets.  I tested it out with a basic wired keyboard and it worked extremely easy. I must say I was impressed and the thought of combining this with Google docs has me thinking I may use this device more than I originally considered.

Charging and Battery

There is a separate charging device with a cord that is just a bit too short in my opinion, and it was the only method I found to work for charging, the micro port and USB port both did not work for charging. This was a disappointment and reminded me of some of the complaints made regarding the early Galaxy tab.  The 4000mAh battery seems to be keeping the company’s claim of 6 hours of movie, 20 hours music, and 6 hours WIFI access. I have found android users to be very particular with battery usage and so I have kept a watch on programs using battery power, though I have found it best to keep the display always on while charging.

X10 claims that this device is a Kindle and Nook killer.

Prior to receiving the Airpad, I had made plans to get rid of my Kindle, but in my opinion it is still a one of a kind device and it stays.  E-ink and the light weight of the Kindle keeps me coming back for when I want to simply read a book, so a no-go there for me.  I have not owned a Nook but was considering getting one when this came out.  The USB port was a big factor with my decision, but mostly it was that the Airpad is a fully operating android system device supported by the company; not requiring root access like the Nook.  The Airpad is ready right out of the box whereas the Nook needs more help than I care to put in a similar priced device that offers little in spec improvements.

I have spent far less time with the laptop since getting this device and find the portability that the Airpad provides with its 7 inch display makes this the perfect tool for my use.  The option for an easy to hook up full sized keyboard was a bonus, and while the resolution was a concern comparing specs on paper, I found that with actual use, it was very satisfying. I plan on using the Airpad for simple web surfing that does not require the use of my laptop, catching a quick show on an app called Crackle or one that I have already downloaded, simple note taking using Thinkingspace, and catching up on email. All these things I could have done with my phone but I wanted to enjoy the larger display while keeping the portability of the 7 inch format.